Two Lovely Berries


„Sorry I'm late, Anne!"

Anne closed the little book in her hands and placed it onto the grass beside her, as his voice ripped her out of her world built of poems.

"Oh, it's alright", she turned her head around, watching him walking through the avenue of trees. "The trees kept me company."

"Perhaps you haven't missed me then at all", he teased.

"It's your luck I was so lost in the written word for once."

"For once you were lost, or for once it was my luck?" He raised his eyebrows mockingly as he had reached her, placing his hand on the trunk she was sitting against.

"I won't answer your bold question, Mr. Blythe. Rather tell me what it was that kept you from being on time."

Gilbert crouched down beside her, reaching a little brown bag out to Anne.

Confused she looked at him, but as no explanation followed she took it from his hands to peek in.

"Cherries!"

A grin appeared on his face at her exclamation, "The very first this year."

"Gilbert Blythe," her sparkling grey-green eyes beamed at him, "you have my permission to be late whenever you desire!" Gilbert was sure there was nobody in this world one could make so happy with something this little as Anne Shirley.

"I feel like it is…" Anne's voice trailed off as she mused about her words.

"Christmas doesn't fit cherries, huh?" He chuckled.

Anne looked bewildered at him, "Would you stop reading my mind!"

He laughed, "If you stop thinking so loud."

Anne smiled to herself and took a handful of the red fruits, before reaching the bag back to him.

She held one pair up into the light and admired them from every side, while Gilbert preferred eating them.

"You know, if raspberries wouldn't be my favourites, cherries would be."

Gilbert laughed, spitting the pit a few yards away, "Be careful not to hurt their feelings."

"Oh, there's no need to be so gingerly with cherries. Unlike every other fruit they have each other."

"What?" Gilbert looked amused at her.

Anne opened her mouth to recite a passage from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' which had never let go of her ever since she read it.

'So we grew together like to a double cherry, seeming parted, but yet an union in partition, two lovely berries molded on one stem.'

But then she realized how sheepish she would feel, quoting such a phrase in front of Gilbert. And maybe she was afraid of this peculiar twinkle in his eyes which would appear then.

"Here, don't you see", she said instead and held them right in front of his eyes. "A couple. United by their stems."

He took it from her, "Indeed. I didn't know they are couples though. I thought they just happen to hang on the same one."

"Nothing just happens." She picked another two and pondered shortly before leaning towards him and draping them around his ear.

Gilbert grimaced, "Are you trying to turn me into a complete girl, Miss Shirley?"

"A complete one? Does that mean you are already half there?" She bit her lip so she wouldn't laugh. Anne knew how close she was to infuriate him.

He removed the cherries carefully and reached his other hand out to tuck a loose strand of hair with whom the wind had been playing behind her ear, so he could place them on her instead.

Anne blushed under his gentle touch and closeness.

"They suit you better." Gilbert allowed his fingers to linger one second longer than they would have needed to, and looked into her eyes before withdrawing again.

He leaned his back against the trunk just like her, and assaulted a cherry while trying his best not to look flustered at all, and not to count how many times he had already wished he could simply cross this tiny line and press his lips against hers.

Frustrated he spit the pit out, noticing with satisfaction how it hit the chosen aim with force, and then rebounded from the tree.

"How do you do this?"

Startled he faced her, "Huh? Do what?"

"Spit it that far. The heroine of my book could too, even though it is a boyish thing to do."

Gilbert shrugged, "It's more or less like whistling with-"

"I can't whistle."

"Oh", Gilbert tilted his head, "Really?"

Anne shook her head.

"Well", he smiled, grateful for some distraction, "then for once I will show you something then. All you really have to do is…" he put another fruit in his mouth, "purse your lips," he swallowed the sweet flesh, "place the pit in front of your teeth", he did just that, "and then…" the pit met the same trunk again, "spit."

"Uh-huh…" Anne looked unconvinced at the cherry in her hand. "It really is a boyish thing to do…"

"Oh come on, Anne. Where's your sense for fun! There's nobody around who could find it boyish."

Uncertain she looked at him. "Well alright…" She didn't want to look like a silly goose in front of Gil after all, "Once won't hurt, I guess."

He nodded with a grin.

Anne ate the fruit as well before positioning the pit. She simply tried to imagine she would blow out some candles as she pursed her lips. It was easier that way with Gilbert Blythe watching.

Astonished she saw how it reached even further than his.

Gilbert's jaw dropped, "How did you do this? Are you sure this was your first try?"

"Of course! I only imagined I would blow out candles."

"I can't believe you have to use your imagination against everything", he chuckled. "Well, it must be beginner's luck then."

"Eh!" Displeased she placed her hands on her hips, "I bet I could beat you a second time, Mr. Blythe!" She looked challenging at him.

Gilbert was barely able to stifle his smile, "Very well then. Challenge accepted, Miss Shirley." They shook hands in all their solemnity.

He grabbed two cherries for both of them and reached her one.

"Wait, we have to settle the conditions first."

"Oh?"

Anne nodded, "The loser has to…" she pondered until her eyes lit suddenly up, "has to go to town wearing the cherries!"

"No wait, that is not fair, Anne! There's nothing to it for a girl. It would only be humiliating for me."

She shrugged with an impish smirk, "Well, you said it was only beginner's luck. Don't you trust your years of experience?"

Gilbert made a face before giving in, "Very well then", he muttered, "But you go first."

The result of her attempt was disappointing compared to her very first try. It only reached as far as Gilbert's had.

He grinned mischievous, "Well, I can beat that", and swallowed his own cherry.

Anne wasn't at all pleased with the smugness of his voice and the twinkle in his eyes. Just as he was about to spit, Anne leaned in and blew her warm breath into his ear.

Gilbert would have probably choked on his pit if it wouldn't have simply fallen ungainly out of his mouth. He would never find out what he would have done with her as this shudder reached his very core, if Anne wouldn't have laughed and provoked his irritation.

"This is called cheating!"

"What?" She chuckled, "A beginner has its right for a head start."

"Forget it", he shook his head, "I will not accept this result."

"You have to", she poked her finger into his chest, "And you have to stand by your word."

"You played foul and now you want me to take the consequences?"

Anne nodded with a grin, "I didn't play foul. It is your own fault not making any rules on distraction, Mr. Blythe."

"It is my fault that I didn't think how sneaky you can be", he grumbled to himself. "Alright. I don't want to hear anything about not pulling things through. But only until we reached Green Gables."

"Very well", Anne stood up, reaching him her hand, "now get up, we have to make sure you will look pretty."

Gilbert shot her a glare, "Why do I have the feeling you are enjoying this too much…"

"Oh!" Anne gasped and pressed a hand to her chest, "But I would never find joy in my friends' misfortune!" She waited until he stood beside her. "I'm just… looking forward to the compliments you will get."

Anne snickered as she saw his pout and took the couple of cherries off her ear. Then she raised herself on tiptoes to decorate his instead with them.

"Just lovely", she admired her own work.

Gilbert rolled his eyes. "At least you can't call me spineless…" he muttered. In his mind he tried to think of all the shortcuts he could take so nobody would see him.

Anne bent down to grab her little book, "It's 'pitless' which you mean, Gilbert Blythe", she gave him a teasing slap with it on his head. "And don't even think of taking some detours."


AN: Soon you won't be able to eat anything without thinking of Anne and Gil, huh? ^^

pressontoknow: Oh thank you! I will as long as muses kiss me! :)

Amybf19: I thought since she said at the end of AoGG that she had forgiven him long ago and always regretted not accepting his friendship when he had saved her… :)

RHrGreatness: So, as long I make you laugh and you make me laugh, our lifespan will increase and increase until we are… IMMORTAL! O_O WE CAN RULE THE WOOOORLD! (Wait, but can you mix something with Mushu so we don't look like 500 years old? ^^) "What are you talking about! I am NOT in love with Gilbert Blythe!" *stamps foot* Yes yes Anne, calm down… Alright, we'll meet at the briiiidge! (I know, the nibbling is missing, but you know that he did that a few years later *wink**wink*)